Snap flask



Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PATENT QFFICE SNAP FLASK Edward P. Rothacker, Cleveland, Ohio Application August 18,

11 Claims.

My invention pertains to a snap flask and more particularly to a foundry flask comprising a pair of hinged side walls together with means for locking their meeting ends together.

An experience of several decades in the manufacture and sale of foundry flasks has lead me tobecome familiar with most of the developed improvements of enough merit to have come into commercial production. Foundry flasks are subjected to rather severe usage and especially snap flasks are in consequence likely to develop loose connections and progressive distortion.

The general object of my invention has been the design of a snap flask of sturdy and durable yet sufliciently economical manufacture. One specific object has been to thicken the abutting interior corner portions of the metal reinforcing plates which have a rabbeted connection and which are supplied with cooperating devices for locking the meeting ends of the hinged Walls. A further object has been to fashion the thickened metal corner portions so that they not only meet on a bias, but along symmetrically zig-zag surfaces of which components are oblique with reference to both of the hinged side walls. Another object hasbeen to improve the conventional type of corner locking device which comprises an open eye carried by one plate and projecting beyond the other and a hinged catch adapted to occupy the eye, which improvement I have realized by supplying beveled surfaces in relatively transverse planes so that when the catch is caused to enter the eye the corner of the flask will be brought to a snug interlocked connection A final feature is associated with the hinge pin (rivet) connection with one of the plates, that margin of the opening for the rivet against which its one end is to be upset being provided with gashes deep enough to be entered by the upset rivet end and whereby to prevent turning of the rivet, eventual looseness and lessened accuracy of locking fit.

Adverting to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the corner reinforcing plates to be secured to the two hinged side walls of a snap flask which embody the features of my invention.

Figure 2 is'an end view of the left portion of Figure 1 turned through an angle of 90.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

Figure 5 is a view on line 5+5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a partial sectional view on line 66 55 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a broken detail view of a modification of one feature of my invention. 7

Two wooden side walls of a snap flask are illustrated which are hinged at their remote ends in a 60 manner not shown because old practice. To one 1932, Serial No. 629,283

of the walls is secured a metal plate 1 provided with a plurality of holes 2 to permit attachment. As disclosed in Figure 1 the plate abuts the edge and a portion of the side of one of the wooden flask walls by being provided with an inwardly projecting flange 3 which has the side not in abutment with the edge of the flask wall defined by separated obliquely alined edges 4 and 5 between which there is an L-shaped recess 6. Projecting from the middle of the plate is an extension 7 provided with an open eye 8 recessed in the same direction as the direction of projection of the flange 3. One feature of my invention is the beveling of two defining Walls of the eye 3, at 9 and 10 (see Figures 4 and 6). The cooperating purpose of beveling or inclining the surfaces 9 and 10 relative to the outer face of the plate 1 will be hereinafter explained.

Another metal plate 11 is similarly designed with an L shaped recess to be occupied by the other hinged wooden wall of the flask, and is furthermore fashioned with a right angularly projecting flange 12 having webbed ends each provided with a pair of oblique spacedly alined edges 13 and 14 which are symmetrical with respect to and adapted to conform to the edges 4 and 5 as appears in Figure 1. Between the edges 13 and 14, each end web of the flange 12 is designed as an approximately L shaped projection 15, but a the defining edges of them form obtuse instead of right angles so that when they are caused to enter the two correspondingly located recesses 6 a wedging action may occur. The plate 11 is similarly provided with a plurality of holes 16 to permit its attachment to the Wooden side wall of the flask.

A central hole 17 has its inner margin fashioned with a plurality of circumferentially arranged gashes 18 of suincient depth to permit of their occupancy by portions of the up-set inner end 19 of a rivet 20 which is employed to hinge an arm 21 fashioned at its free extremity as an ear 22 to serve the purpose of a handle. Adjacent to the handle the hinged member carries a downwardly projecting catch 23 which is adapted to enter the eye 8 when the extension 7 is projected through a slot 24 at the corner end of the plate 11, as perhaps most clearly shown in Figure 4. The interjacent end of the member which is provided with the slot 24 is widened to form a guide flange.25 which additionally forms a backing for the extension '7 as well shown in Figures 1 and 4.

When the two hinged walls of the flask are to be swung together preparatory to locked connection, the handle 22 will have been first swung upwardly whereupon the extension '7 may enter the slot 24. When the handle 22 is thereafter depressed, its catch 23 will enter the eye 8 and in consequence of the beveled surfaces 9 and 10 will cause a duplex binding action effective to draw the two plate corners in two relatively transverse directions until the projections snugly fit in the recesses 6. The interlock of the up-set end 19 with the gashes l8 prevents loosening and turning of the rivet 20 and thereby insures proper or accurate functioning of the catch 23.

The modification shown in Figure 7 shows in substitution for the plate '1 a plate 26 having end webs 27 fashioned with double ig-sag edge 2 The other plate 29 has end webs S0 with a symmetrical double zig-zag edge 31. It is to be observed that all five components of the double zig-zag edges are oblique with reference both to the main body of the plate 26 and with reference to the main body or plane of the plate 29. It is to be realized that the scope of my invention comprehends many equivalent constructions. The showing of the drawing and the particular description are merely specific exemplifications of a plurality of mechanical embodiments and arrangements.

1. In a snap flask, th combination of hinged side members having their free ends adapted to abut, said ends carrying thickened metallic corners, said corners being fashioned with obliquely directed margins of i-shaped cross section and in rabbeted connection whereby to achieve mitered alignment.

2. In a snap flask, the combination of hinged side members having their free ends adapted to abut, said ends carrying thickened metallic corners, said corners being fashioned with obliquely directed zig-zag surfaces of complemental contour, interjacent fiat surfaces composing each of said zig-zag surfaces being slightly oblique to said side members respectively whereby to permit of a duplex wedging action in the two transverse directions of extension of said side members.

3. In a snap flask, the combination of hinged side members having their free ends adapted to abut, said ends carrying thickened metallic corners, said corners being fashioned with obliquely directed zig-zag surfaces of complemental contour, interjacent flat surfaces composing each of said zig-zag surfaces being slightly oblique to said side members respectively whereby to permit of a duplex wedging action in the two transverse directions of extension of said side members and means for progressively drawing said corners to wedgefitted connection.

4. In a snap flask, the combination of hinged side members having their free ends adapted to abut, said ends carr ing thickened metallic corners, said corners being fashioned with obliquely directed zig-zag surfaces of complemental contour, interjacent flat surfaces composing each of said zig-zag surfaces being slightly oblique to said side members respectively whereby to permit of a duplex wedging action in the two transverse directions of extension of said side members and a catch appliance comprising cooperating parts on said abutable side i said parts being designed for wedging miter-action in the two directions of their extension from their corner abutment whereby to draw said zig-zag surfaces together.

5. In a snap flask, the combination of side members one of which is hinged, one of said members carrying on its abutting end a projecting eye having one of its defining sides beveled, a catch pivoted to the other of said members and. adapted to be wedge-fitted in said eye.

6. In a snap flask, the combination of side members two. adjacent ones of which are hinged, one of said hinged members carrying on its abutting end a projecting three-sided eye having its outer and intermediate sides beveled in relatively transverse directions, a catch pivoted to the other of said hinged members and adapted to be wedge-fitted in said eye whereby to draw said members-in two directions to a tight corner fit.

'7. In a snap flask, side members, two of which are hinged and adapted to have their free ends brought into corner abutment, metal corner plates secured to said side members respectively, cooperating lock devices carried by the plates respectively, and a rivet hingedly connecting one of said devices to its plate, the margin of the inner end of the hinge hole in said plate being gashed and occupied by the peened end of said rivet whereby to prevent turning of the latter.

8. In a snap flask, side members, two of which are hinged and adapted to have their free ends brought into corner abutment, metal plates secured to the meeting ends of side members respectively, the corner ends of said plates being thickened and fashioned with obliquely continuing symmetrical zig-zig surfaces, cooperating lock devices carried by the plates respectively, and a rivet hingedly connecting one of said devices to its plate, one terminal margin of the hinge hole being gashed and occupied by the peened end of said rivet whereby to prevent turning of the latter, one of said lock devices being fashioned with a beveled surface engageable by the other lock device whereby to draw said zig-zag surfaces into conforming contact.

9. In a snap flask, the combination of side members one of which is hinged, one of said members carrying on its abutting end an eye pro- I jecting through a slot in the other member, said eye having one of its defining sides beveled, said slot being bordered by a guide flange adapted to act as a backing for said eye, a catch pivoted to the other of said members and adapted to be wedge-fitted in said eye.

10. In a snap flask, side members, two of which are hinged and adapted to have their free ends brought into corner abutment, cooperating lock devices carried by corners of the side members respectively and having the one an eye and the other a catch, two pairs of engageable sides of said. lock devices respectively converging with respect to each other, and a rivet hingedly connecting one of said devices to its plate, the margin of the inner end of the hinge hole in said plate being gashed and occupied by the peened end of said rivet whereby to prevent turning of the latter and consequential looseness and inaccuracy of the wedged fitting.

11. In a snap flask, side members, two of which are hinged and adapted to have their free ends brought into corner abutment, corners of said members being thickened and fashioned one with a V-shaped groove and the other with a conforming tenon, cooperating lock devices carried by the plates respectively, one of said lock devices being fashioned with a pair of relatively "transverse beveled surfaces engageable by the other lock device whereby to draw both faces of said rabbeted connection into conforming contact.

EDWARD P. ROTHACKER. 

